Vaal River – Barrage to Parys
Vaal River – Barrage to Parys · gauteng, free state
Grade
II
Length
44km
Duration
4 to 7 hours
About
Long, mostly flat K1/K2 racing section with many channels. Wide and flat for ~10km to the first rapid, Benoude Boude — race line sticks left all the way; at high water a fair-sized hole stretches across the river at the bottom. Most rapids are small but have sharp rocks that can seriously damage a glass boat. An older weir downstream is submerged by the Goose Canyon Bay weir. Goose Canyon Bay weir is very high but has a paddlers' chute on the right — shoot it 1m left of the pillar. Compulsory portage at high water (suckback). River winds past a small resort on the Gauteng side (20km from start). From there to Smilin Thru Chalets the river threads islands with small rapids — learn the channels; some loop well around islands before rejoining the main current. Races finish at Likkewaan Canoe Club (~8km below Smilin Thru), above the big weir upstream of Parys — do not paddle past Likkewaan.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
None
Recent sessions
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